Heat exchange structure

ABSTRACT

Heat exchange structure having an elongate substantially horizontal heat transfer member provided with fin members which have angular sloping flanges. The fins are closely spaced so that the flanges of adjacent fins are in overlapping relationship. Thus, a chimney effect with scrubbing action is created in the passage of air upwardly through the heat exchange structure. Thus, a good drawing effect is created, along with highly efficient heat exchange. The heat exchange structure is particularly adapted for use as a baseboard heater but is not necessarily so limited and may be employed in other applications in which efficient heat transfer is desired.

Baljel 165/55 o 7 United States Patent 1191 1111 3,867,981 1 Monroe I 1' 3 1 Feb. 25', 1 975 154] HEAT EXCHANGE STRUCTURE 3,470,352 9/1969 McKay 6161. 219/368 1 1 l [75] Inventor: Thomas D. Monroe, Memph1s, 3 551 642 1 2/ 970 Knol 165/55 I T FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,227,454 3/1960 France 165/129 [73] .gil Myers Sprmgfeld' 356,877 12/1905 France 165/182 1 321,381 4/1957 Switzerland 165/129 22 i d; 1 s g 1972 637,980 3/1962 Canada 165/129 361,648 6/1962 Switzerland 165/129 1 [21] Appl. No.: 293,476

v Primary Examiner-Albert W. Davis, Jr. 52 us; c1 165/55, 165/128, 165/129, ASS/"am Rlchter 165/181, I6S/I8'2 219/368 Attorney, Agent, or F1rm--Jacox & Meckstroth [51] Int. Cl. F24h 3/00, F28f1/30 [58] Field of Search 165/53, 55, 128, 129, 181, 1 1 ABSTRACT 165/182; 219/368 Heat exchange structure having an elongate substantially horizontal heat transfer member provided with [56] References Cited fin members which have angular sloping flanges. The UNlTED STATES PATENTS fins are closely spaced so that the flanges of adjacent 1,775,257 9/1930 Shurtleff 165/182 are overlapling rilatifmship' a chimney 1,926,792 9/1933 Reichart 165/128 scrubbmg Created m the Passage 1,935,025 11/1933 Hart 165/181 x of upwardly through the heat exchange Structure- 2,184,345 12/1939 Hersey 165/182 x Thus; a g drawing effect is Created, along with 2,371,144 3/1945 Bronander 165/182 X highly efficient heat exchange. The heat exchange 2,620,171 12/1952 Dubin et a1 165/182 structure is particularly adapted for use as a baseboard 2,8l8,237 l2/l957 Lehr et a1. 165/128 X heater but is not necessarily so limited .and may be 2,876,631 3/1959 Bailey 165/181 X- employed h other applications in Which efficieht heat 2,899,178 8/1959 Dubin et a1... 165/182 transfer is desired 3,091,289 5/1963 Weinstein 165/55 3,294,158 12/1966 .4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures HEAT EXCHANGE STRUCTURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the past, various types of baseboard heater structures and devices have been created. Such structures and devices have performed rather satisfactorily in providing heat to a room. However, efficiency of most of the structures and devices has not been good. Also, walls of the room adjacent the heater structures have become streaked by dirt formed by action of the heater.

.It is an object of this invention to provide heat exchange structure in which fin members are capable of providing a chimney effect, scrubbing action of the air flow, and a high degree of efficiency.

It is another object of this invention to provide baseboard heater structure which causes no appreciable Other objects and advantages reside in the construe tion of parts, the combination thereof, and the method of manufacture, as will become more apparent from the following description:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing heat exchange structure of this invention as applied to a baseboard heater.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view, with parts broken away, of the heat exchange structure of FIG. 1, drawn on a larger scale than FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is asectional view taken substantially on line 33 of FIG. 2, drawn on a largerscale than FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary exploded perspective type of view of a portion of heat exchange structure of this invention, drawn on a larger scale than FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary top view of a fin portion of heat exchange structure of this invention, drawn on a slightly smaller scale than FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the fin portion shown in FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Heat exchange structure of this invention comprises a housing 14, having a back panel 16, one or more end panels I8, a top panel 20, a bottom panel 22, and a front panel 24.

Attached to the back panel 16 and to the bottompanel 22 is a plurality of spaced-apart brackets 26, each of which has an upper arm 28 and a lower arm 30.

Adjacent each end panel 18 is a connection box 32. An elongate heat transfer member or heat conductor member 36, adapted to enclose heater members or elements, such as electric member or other types of heater means, or to conduct fluid therethrough, extends from the connection box 32 and along the length of the panels 16, 20, 22, and 24. The heat transfer member 36 is adapted to be disposed generally horizontally. A plurality of fin members or fins 40 are supported by the heat transfer member 36 in aligned coaxial relationship.

Each fin 40 is preferably produced from a generally rectangular sheet of material, such as a sheet of metal material or the like, which has good heat transfer characteristics. Each fin 40 includes a main wall or base wall 42 which is adapted to be generally upright and generally normal to the heat transfer member 36. The main wall 42 has a top edge 46, a bottom edge 48, and side edges 50. Each side edge 50 as it extends upwardly from the bottom edge 48 to the top edge 46 slopes toward the other side edge 50. Thus, the top edge 46 is shorter than the bottom edge 48. A flange 54 extends from each side edge 50 and is angularly disposed with respect to the main wall 42. Each flange 54 slopes to ward the heat transfer member 36 from the bottom edge 48 toward the top edge 46.

Each fin 40 has a sleeve portion 62, at the central portion thereof, which extends axially therefrom and which encompasses the elongate heat transfer member 36 and which is attached thereto in any suitable manner, such as by staking, as shown by indentations 64, or

by other suitable means. The sleeve portion 62 spaces through an aperture 41, and to the arm 28 to assist in support of the heat transfer. member 36 and the fins 40 supported thereby.

The spacing between adjacent fins 40 is such that the flanges 54 are in overlapping relationship as the flanges .of each fin 40 are laterally positioned from the main wall 42 of the adjacent fin 40. Thus, adjacent fins 40 with the flanges 54 thereof form a partial enclosure. Thus, a chiminey effect is provided, and due to the fact that the flanges 54 slope inwardly as they extend upwardly, air moving upwardly between adjacent fins 40 engages the inner surfaces of the flanges 54. Thus, scrubbing action'of the air occurs on the flanges 54. Also, the. velocity of the air increases as the air travels upwardly between adjacent fins 40. Thus, there is excellent heat exchange between the fins and the air, and high efficiency results.

Due to the fact that portions of the flanges 54 are laterally positioned with respect to the main wall 42 of the adjacent fin 40, direct radiation of heat from the heat transfer member 36 to the back panel 16 and to the front panel 24 is prevented. Thus, the temperature of the back panel 16 and the front panel 24 is maintained relatively low. Thus, most of the heat flow from the heat transfer member 36 flows into the air which moves between adjacent fin members 40. Therefore, there is a high degree of efflciency in the heat exchange structure of this invention.

The overlapping flange arrangement of the fins 40 and air flow action created thereby prevent streaking of room walls adjacent the heat exchange structure by soil deposits, as usually occurs in most baseboard heater structures.

Thus, heat exchange structure of this invention has numerous advantages over other heat exchange structures..

Although the preferred embodiment of the device has been described, it will be understood that within the purview of this invention various changes may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement of parts, and the combination thereof, which generally stated consist in structure capable of carrying out the objects set forth, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

The invention having thus been described, the following is claimed:

fin 40 1. In a heat exchanger including an elongated housing adapted to be mounted adjacent a baseboard, an

elongated heating member extending longitudinally within said housing, and a plurality of horizontally spaced vertical fins each having an opening for receiving said heating member and in heat conducting relation therewith, the improvement wherein each of said fins includes a trapezoid-shaped base wall integrally connecting a pair of inclined downwardly facing flanges each projecting outwardly from said base wall to form an obtuse angle therewith, each of said fins being positioned in interfitting relation with each adjacent fin and with the corresponding adjacent said flanges disposed in overlapping parallel spaced relation, and the cross-section area between each pair of adjacent fins progressively decreasing from the bottom of the fins towards the top of the fins to provide for scrubbing of the air with said downwardly facing inclined flanges of each fin and a progressively increasing velocity of the heated air flowing upwardly between said fins.

2. A heat exchanger as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said flanges of each said fin, is trapezoid-shaped and has its shortest edge located at the bottom of said fin.

3. A heat exchanger as defined in claim 1 wherein only the upper corner portion of each said flange of each said fin is disposed in overlapping relation to the corresponding said flange of the adjacent said fin.

4. A heat exchanger as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said fins comprises a substantially rectangular sheet of metal with said flanges formed from opposite edge portions of said sheet. 

1. In a heat exchanger including an elongated housing adapted to be mounted adjacent a baseboard, an elongated heating member extending longitudinally within said housing, and a plurality of horizontally spaced vertical fins each having an opening for receiving said heating member and in heat conducting relation therewith, the improvement wherein each of said fins includes a trapezoid-shaped base wall integrally connecting a pair of inclined downwardly facing flanges each projecting outwardly from said base wall to form an obtuse angle therewith, each of said fins being positioned in interfitting relation with each adjacent fin and with the corresponding adjacent said flanges disposed in overlapping parallel spaced relation, and the cross-section area between each pair of adjacent fins progressively decreasing from the bottom of the fins towards the top of the fins to provide for scrubbing of the air with said downwardly facing inclined flanges of each fin and a progressively increasing velocity of the heated air flowing upwardly between said fins.
 2. A heat exchanger as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said flanges of each said fin, is trapezoid-shaped and has its shortest edge located at the bottom of said fin.
 3. A heat exchanger as defined in claim 1 wherein only the upper corner portion of each said flange of each said fin is disposed in overlapping relation to the corresponding said flange of the adjacent said fin.
 4. A heat exchanger as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said fins comprises a substantially rectangular sheet of metal with said flanges formed from opposite edge portions of said sheet. 